Digital Processing for Vinyl

[Togil]

There's an interesting comment on HiFi Critic's forum that most Vinyl produced in the last 25 years even from analogue masters has a digital (AD/DA) delay circuit in the cutting process.

Still, most vinyl enthusiasts presumably avoid anything post 1980 as it is likely to have been digitally recorded, am I correct ?

[Marco]

As far as the majority are concerned I would think no, although I suspect you're right about the digital involvement in the recording process. I tend not to bother about such things.

I buy music on vinyl that I like regardless of the recording process used - it is what it is. For many vinyl enthusiasts (me included) a big part of the enjoyment is simply the process of playing records, admiring the artwork on covers, etc; we just find the whole experience more enjoyable. It's not just a sound quality thing.

Marco.

[Clive]

There is indeed ceremony thing around vinyl for many, it adds to the involvement and pleasure. Many of us are not totally anti-CD and the digital processing used in the cutting process is usually of a higher standard than CD anyway. Then it gets complex, we start worrying about what the recording engineers do - compression is often the big issue. Life's too short, enjoy the music!

[Marco]

Life's too short, enjoy the music!


Too right, Clive! :smoking:

Marco.

[shane]

As far as I know, the digital delay line is used to drive the cutting head across the disk allowing the groove spacing to be optimised, rather than being in the actual signal path to the cutting head.